Pipe cleaning cup



April 2, 1968 J. CHARNIGA, JR

PIPE CLEANING CUP Filed March 22, 1965 dosfi vh Ch m x $92131.

A; ORNEY.

United States Patent C) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A deformable pipe cleaning cup incorporating an abrasive coated inner surface whichcan be' engaged on the'end of a copperpipe or tube and rotated so as to clean the same.

This invention relates to a device for cleaning ends of copper pipe and the like which are to be soldered into fittings as is customary in installing plumbing formed of copper tubing and/ or brass pipe and the like.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of an expendable pipe cleaning cup incorporating an abrasive coated inner surface which can be engaged on the end of i a copper pipe or tube, for example, and rotated so as to clean the oxide, scale and other objectionable materials therefrom to insure satisfactory solder joint.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a pipe cleaning cup incorporating a conical reamer in an end thereof arranged to deburr the end of a pipe inserted in said cup.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a pipe cleaning cup formed of resilient plastic material slit axially throughout most of'its length so that it will accommodate pipes of various diameters.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a pipe cleaning tool comprising an inexpensive, expendable molded resilientplastic article having an abrasive coated interior-arranged to engage the exterior surface of the end of the section of copper tubing or pipe and simultaneously deburr the end thereof.

Those skilled in the art will be familar with the fact that plumbing as installed in dwelling houses is customarily formed of copper tubing and that the copper tubing is joined by means of copper fittings, including Ts, Us and the like, and which copper fittings are formed in the manner of sleeves engageable over the ends of the copper tubing with which they are connected so that they can be heated and solder applied which will flow uniformly into the small space between the tubing and the fitting and form an effective water-tight seal as well as means securing the fitting to the tubing.

In the past, it has been customary to use a piece of sandpaper or emery paper, or the like, and clean the exterior surface of the end of the tubing to be inserted in the fitting so as to insure an adequate and suitable solder joint.

The present invention proposes to form a flexible expendable plastic cup slit longitudinally at radially spaced intervals thereabout and preferably formed with an inturned conical bottom section, the inner walls of the cup and the inner surface of the conical bottom being coated with an adhering abrasive so that the device can be used by simply slipping it over the end of the tubing to be cleaned, rotating it between the thumb and forefinger of the user whereupon the abrasive will clean the exterior surface of the tubing and the abrasive on the conical end will engage and tend to deburr the end of the tubing.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which'do not constitute 'de-' partures from the spirit'and scope oftheinvention;

The invention is illustrated'in the accompanying draw= ing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the pipe cleaning cup.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view-thereof.

FIGURES is a vertical sectionon line 3-3 of FIG- URE 2,

FIGURE 4 is a side'view' of the pipe cleaning cup 'engaged on a pipe of larger diameterthan the diameter of said cup.

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation of thepipe cleaning :cup'

engaged on a pipe of smaller diameter'than the diameter of said cup.-

FIGURE 6 is a vertical section through a modified form of the pipe cleaning cup.

FIGURE 7 is a side elevation of a deburring tool which is insertable in themodified form of the pipe cleaning cup shown in FIGURE 2.

FIGURES is a cross section ofthe modified pipe cleaning cup showing the deburring tool assembled therein and broken lines indicating a pipe-positioned therein-n By referring to the drawings and FIGURES 1, 2 and'3 in particular a preferred embodiment of the invention may be seen to comprise a cup-shaped hollow body member having an-annularside wall 10 and a conical-bottom 11 formed integrally therewith, the'body member 10 and conical bottom 11 beingformed of a resilientlydefo'rmable plastic material and the annular side wall 10 is slotted vertically throughout a majority of its height by a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots 12, as best seen in FIG- URE 2 of the drawings.

It willbe observed that each'ofthe circumferentially spaced slots 12 are diagonally positioned in the annular side wall 10 of the pipe cleaning cup so that when'the' diameter whereupon the edges of the material adjacent the 'slots 12 will'move over the other edges of the material defining the same slot.

By referring to FIGURE 5 of the drawings, wherein the device is illustrated positioned on the end of a relatively small diameter tube T, it will be seen that when the annular side wall 10 and more particularly the several segments thereof defined by the circumferentially spaced slots 12 are manually pushed together, the device comprises a cup of relatively smaller diameter matching the outer diameter of the tube T. Conversely, when the device is to be positioned upon a pipe of larger diameter than the inner diameter of the annular wall 10 of the pipe cleaning cup, the slots 12 merely expand as illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawings where such a larger pipe is indicated by the letter P.

By referring again to FIGURE 3 of the drawings, it will be observed that the inner surfaces of the annular wall 10 of the pipe cleaning cup and the inner upper surface of the conical bottom 11 thereof are coated with an abrasive material 13 such as Carborundum abrasive or the like, which is secured to the inner surfaces of the pipe cleaning cup by applying a solvent to said surfaces so as to temporarily soften the same and then dusting the same with the abrasive material. The resilient deformable plastic from which the pipe cleaning cup is made is such that when the solvent action ends, which is of rather short time duration, the abrasive particles will in elfect be partially embedded in the inner surfaces of the pipe cleaning cup. Alternately, the pipe cleaning cup may be formed of other materials as will occur to those skilled in the art with an interior coating of an adhesive and the abrasive material secured thereto thereby.

Patented Apr. 2, 1968 By referring now to FIGURE 4 of the drawings, it will be seen that a relatively larger diameter of pipe P has been inserted into the relatively smaller diameter pipe cleaning cup and particularly the annular wall 10 thereof which enlarges due to the provision of the circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending slots 12 which have now widened as they are illustrated in FIGURE 4. In such position, the abrasive material 13 will be effective in cleaning the ends of the pipe P when the cup is rotated thereby.

In FIGURE of the drawings, the relatively smaller tube T is shown inserted in the pipe cleaning cup and more particularly the annular wall thereof, and the material of the annular wall is shown in overlapped relation due to the diagonal configuration of the slots 12 heretofore described. The abrasive material on the interior will thus suitably engage the end of the tube T so that rotation of the pipe cleaning cup will clean the same. It will be understood that the relatively smaller diameter of the pipe cleaning cup as seen in FIGURE 5 is occasioned by moving the same into such position by the thumb and fingers of the user, and it will also be observed that the broken line representation of the bottom end of the tube T and the conical bottom 11 of the pipe cleaning cup is such that it engages the end of the tube T and performs a reaming or deburring action with respect thereto which is sometimes desirable.

Modifications in the invention will occur to those skilled in the art and one such modification is seen in FIGURES 6, 7 and 8, and by referring thereto, it will be seen that a cylindrical deformable plastic cup 14 is illustrated which is provided with an enlarged opening 15 in its lower end. The inner surfaces of the plastic cup 14 are coated with an abrasive 16 as in the case of the preferred example hereinbefore referred to. A deburring tool which may be formed of metal with an appropriate serrated surface 17 is provided with an annular recess 18 adjacent its lower edge so that it may be snapped into registering position in the opening 15 and held by the collar-like bottom portion of the annular cup 14 which defines the opening 15 therein.

In assembly, the device is illustrated in FIGURE 8 of the drawings where the serrated metal plug 17 forms a very effective deburring tool. The modification, like the preferred embodiment, incorporates the circumferentially spaced, longitudinally extending slots 19.

It will thus be seen that a pipe cleaning cup has been disclosed which can be inexpensively formed, easily used 4 to perform its intended function regardless of the diameter of the pipe or tubing on which it is employed and that in its modified form it becomes an effective reamer or deburrer.

It will occur to those skilled in the art that the material from which the pipe cleaning cup is formed may be any one of a number of synthetic resins which can be inexpensively molded in a desired configuration and that if desired the conical bottom of the preferred embodiment of the invention can be altered so that the apex is relatively higher within the annular body of the device as desired.

It will thus be seen that the pipe cleaning cup disclosed herein meets the several objects of the invention, and having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A pipe cleaning cup comprising a device formed of resiliently deformable material'including an annular side wall and a bottom, the annular side wall having longitudinally extending slots therein and abrasive material secured to the inner surface of said annular side wall and the bottom.

2. A pipe cleaning cup comprising a device formed of resilient deformable material including an annular side wall and a conical bottom, the annular side wall having longitudinally extending slots therein. and abrasive material adhering to the inner surface of said annular side wall and the conical bottom.

3. The pipe cleaning cup set forth in claim 1 and wherein the longitudinally extending slots are positioned diagonally relative to the said side walland spaced circumferentially thereabout.

4. The pipe cleaning cup set forth in claim 2 and wherein the longitudinally extending slots are positioned diagonally relative to the said side wall and spaced circumferentially thereabout.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,759,739 5/1930 Ferris 5l-l81 2,282,650 5/1942 Fenton 5 l396 2,450,606 10/1948 Molitor S1-73 3,168,799 2/1965 Johnson 7773 X 3,232,145 2/1966 Wilson 7773 LESTER M. SWINGLE, Primary Examiner.

J. F. MCKEOWN, Assistant Examiner. 

